Signoe op one-half to alexandee melville claek and will



b e e h S .w e h s 2 S .L U M A S T m d o M o W APPARATUS FOR HOLDINGDRY PLATES 0R FILMS.

N0. 306,528. Patented Oct. 14,1884.

a/ IiyENTOR:

WITNESSES: za ZMM/b BY 5 1 ATTORNEYS.

u. PETERS. Phnto-Uihographen Washmginn. u. c.

(No Model.) 7 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

- T. SAMUELS.

APPARATUS FOR HOLDING DR Y PLATES OR FILMS.

Patented Oct. 14,1884.

ATTORNEYS.

INVENTOR A WITNESSES:

gnaw 0% N. PETERs. Phom-Lilhngnphun Washngon, a. a

UN TED STArEs Parent. rrrcn.

THOMAS SAMUELS, OF MONKEN HADLEY, COUNTY OF MIDDLESEX, AS- SIGNOR OFONE-HALF TO ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK AND WVILL- IAM CLARK, BOTH OFMIDDLESEX COUNTY, ENGLAND.

APPARATUS FOR HOLDING DRY PLATES OR FlLiVlS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 306,528, dated October14, 1884:.

I Application filed November 27,1883. (No model.) Patented in EnglandFebruary 15, 1S83,1\'o. 843; in France August 4, 1883, No.

156,881; in Belgium August 7, 1883, No.6:1248, and in Germany August.20, 1883, No. 526,261.

To aZZ whom it may concern Be'it known that I, Tnonas SAMUELS, a subjectof the Queen of Great Britain, residing at Monken Hadley, in the countyof Middlesex, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Apparatus for Holding Dry Plates or Films Before, During,

and After Exposure and for Changing Them in the Photographic Camera,(for which I have received Letters Patent in Great Britain, No. 843,dated February 15, 1888,)- of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improved apparatus in the nature of acombined darkback and holder for containing a number of sensitized dryplates or other sensitive films placed in front of one another, and forautomatically bringing the said plates or films successively up to thesame plane or position for exposure, and for changing and packing awaythe said plates or films after exposure. The said apparatus isapplicable to any ordinary camera, and is serviceable also as aconvenient and compact means of transporting the plates or films bothbefore and after exposure. By means of this apparatus a number ofexposures in very rapid succession may be easily obtained without thepossibility of accidentally exposing the same plate twice, (which isliable to happen with double backs and some existing changing-boxcameras,) there being with my apparatus no manipulation beyond the meresliding out and in of the dark shutter, the operations of bringing upthe plates or films to position for exposure and packing them away afterexposure being entirely automatic, except in so far as they aredependent on the working of this slide.

My invention further comprises an envelope or sheath for each plate, bymeans whereof the contact of the plates or films with one another whenprepositcd in my holder, and especially in transferring and packing themaway after exposure, is avoided, and the light is prevented from passingthrough a plate when under exposure to those behind it.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in whichFigures 1 and 3 are plans of a camera provided with my improvedplate-holder, the parts being shown in position for exposing a plate andfor focusing the picture, in the two figures, respectively. Figs.

2 and 4 are the corresponding rear elevations.

Fig. 5 is a horizontal section of the plate-holder,

and Fig. 6 is a vertical section through one of 'a horizontal section ofthis modified plateholder drawn to a larger scale. Figs. 14 and 15 areface and edge views of one of the protective sheaths for the sensitizedplates.

The same letters of reference indicate similar parts in all the figures.

The apparatus consists of a pair of twin plate-holding boxes orcompartments corresponding in internal area to the dimensions of theplates and juxtaposed upon a board or frame, which is hinged orotherwise attached to the body of the camera, so as to take theplace ofthe ordinary dark-back. One of these plate-holding boxes or compartmentsI denominate the container, as it contains the supply of plates previousto exposure, and the other I denominate the receiver, it being intendedto receive the same plates after exposure, the plates in the containerbeing brought successively into position for exposure and transferredthence to the receiver by means which I will proceed to describe withreference to the drawings.

A is the base-plate of the plateholder.

B B' are twin boxes or compartments, the one, B, being the container,and the other, B, the receiver.

C is the camera of any usual construction.

In Figs. 1 to 9 the plate-holder is c011- structcd of two distinctboxes, B B", which (Jhwhich is pushed up from behind by springs areinterchangeable for other similar ones tilled with. plates held inreserve and brought into use as required. These boxes are all identicalin every respect, and, being rectangular and without any external 1; roi(i:ctions, a number ofthem may be packed compactly together fortransport, and they are therefore well adapted foroutdoor work. Theseboxes are aecuratelylittcd to slide in rabbctcd guides or gibs a, Fig.(5, along the top and bottom edges of the base-plate A, which eiiigagewith the corresponding grooves b in the top and bottom of the boxes,Fig. 8. The base-plate A is a solid board having an opening, 0, Figs. 5,ti, and 7, in such position that its center will coincide with theoptical axis of the camera when the plate-holder is in position forexposure, and of dimensions slightly less than the height and width ofthe plates. burrounding this opening there is a projecting fillet, d,Fig. 7, fitting in a rabbet in the back of the camera, so as to make alight-tight joint between the board A. and the camera. These boxes B B"ab n t 'closel y together, so that no light can get between them, andthe one B abuts close against the end frame, a, on the plate A, while a:llap, hinged atf to the plate A, abuts againstthe box B and is lockedby catches By throwing this'ilap back on its hinges the boxes 1 1:; canhe slid out of their guides in the frame A, as indicated in dotted linesin lliig. 5. The boxes 13 13 are open on the side next the plate A, bywhich the box IE is closed Iighttight, while the box 13 comes oppositethe aperture 0.

E is a shutter, fitted to slide through a mortise in the end a of theplate A, and through corresponding recesses in the front cdges'ol" theends of the boxes l3 13'. This shutter slides in close contact with theinner surface of the board A, and the recesses in the box ends form apassage of communication from the one box to the other, as shown. Eachbox is furnished with a false bottom or follower,

t in order, in the ease of the container 13", to bring theplatessuccessively up to the position for exposure, the forward motion of thefalse bot-tom being limited by tapes made fast at each end, or bysuitable stops (not shown) in such manner that the end of the falsebottom next the dark shutter shall not project beyond the openingbetween the boxes or the mortise in which the shutter slides when theboxes are empty.

I are wire guides lixed against one side of each box for the edges ofthe plates to work against.

.1. are the dry plates, each. incased in a protective sheath, ashereinafter described. The total thickness of aplate and its sheathcorre sponds to the thickness of the shutter 1*), so that as a plate ispushed up by the springs G" until. it abuts against the inner face of A.0ppositc the aperture 0, and directlyin line with the shutter E, thelatter when pushed in will drive the plate in trout of it out of thebox]? into the box ii.

To enable the plate so transferrtal to enter the receiver B in front ofthe false bottom, or

in front of its p redeeessors in the receiver, the inner surface ofboard A is countersunk so as to form a well, 7:, at the side farthestfrom that at which the plate enters the receiver 13, and the springs(.l" are set toward the same side of the box, so that the false bottomof said box, and any plates in front of it,will he canted sidewise, asshown in Fig. 7, and the lead iug edge of the entering plate will. comein front of the said false bottom and the plates, which will thus beforced backward as theeutering plate is slid into thebox. Other means ofmaking the plate assume this oblique po sition may, however, be adoiited.

A cover, I, is provided for each box 13 li It corresponds exactly inthickness to the shutter ll), so that it can pass through the men tiscin which the latter works, and has rabbeted edges, which slide ingrooves i in the upper and lower side of the box. A. bolt. 1 II, orother fastener is provided at the lQllJdIEIIHl end of the box to lockthe said cover in position. The plate A is hinged at I) to the side ofthe camera, so that itmay either be brought close against the back ofthe camera, as in Figs. 3 and at, this being the position for exposure,or be readily swung thick. as in Figs. 1. and 2-, to allow of thefocusingsereen F being quickly brought into position for focusing, thisscreen F being hinged to the top or bottom of the camera, as fre queutlydone. it will, however, be UbYiUtlS that the plate-holder might behinged to either side or to thetop or bottom of the camera, the screen.F being arranged accordingly. In any case the focusing-screen is so:uliustcd that when in position for focusing the picture the plane ofthe ground'glass Stjltitfll willv exactly coincide with the plane of thenext plate l to beexposed, when said plate is pushed by the springsagainst the inner surface of the board A on the shutter 15 being drawnout. The plate-holdcris locked in position for exposure by a springcatchat Is. (Not shown.)

The modus operandi is as follows: The ilap f being opened and theslnittmr l being drawn out, a box :lillcd with say, .hal f a dozen dryplates (each incased in a protective sheath, to be hereinafterdescribed) and closed by its cover l is slid int 0 the position l) inthe bascplate A. An empty box, without its cover, is then placedalongside it at 13. The shutte. 1' is then pushed in, thus forcing thecover of 13 into the corres 'iouding grooves of 13, from which it can beeasily witlulrawn, after which l'lap is closed and lockcifl. The shutternow closes the ape rture 0, and theplateluilder can be swung back to theposition Figs. 1 and 2, for the purpose of focusing the picture, afterwhich it is returned to the position shown in Figs. 3 and 4-. The lenshaving been capped or closed. byits instantaneousshnl ter, the shutter1* is drawn out, whereupon the frontplate in the container 13 is pressedup to the ap erture c in position for exposure, as in Fig. 7. Afterexposing in the usual way, the shutter E is pushed in, thereby forcingthe plate which has just been exposed into the receiver B, where itpasses in front of the spring-bottom, and any plates already in thereceiver (as shown in Fig. 7) taking therein an oblique position toallow the next plate in turn to come in front of it. When all the plateshave in like manner been successively exposed and transferred to thereceiver, the shutter 111 is wholly withdrawn by unscrewing the screwwhich limits its motion, and the cover I is passed through the samemortise into the grooves of the container I3". The i'lap f having beenthrown back, the shutter E is then replaced, pushing before it the coverI into the grooves of the receiver B, (now full of -exposed plates,)which is thereby closed lighttight, and may be removed from the board Aand put on one side for subsequent development, (to, of the exposedplates in the usual way. The now empty box B is also removed, and a fullone being put in its place the empty one now takes the place of thereceiver, and the same operations are repeated.

For outside work, a convenient number of full boxes and an empty one areall that are needed besides the camera and the usual ac ecssories.

The plate-holder may be readily detached from the camera for convenienceof transport, the hinges D being of the kind known as halthinges orlifting-hinges, so as to be readily separable.

In Figs. 1O, 11, 12, and 13, I3 I3 are compartments of the same box,framed in one with board A, before described, B being permanently closedat front, and the aperture c be ing opposite B, which is provided with ashutter, E, as before. The two COlll11)2tltll1C11iS are provided withhinged covers in at back, closing light-tight, and locked by bolts, atwhich the plates may be inserted and withdrawn. There is a passage forthe plates to pass from one compartment to the other, as before, by theoperation of the shutter E, and the compartment B has a well orcountersunk cavity at front, and both are provided with spring bottoms,as before described. This double box is fitted to slide between rabbetedguides it along the top and bottom edges of the back of the camera,which is prolonged sufficiently at one side to allow of the double boxbeing slid along out of the way of the focusing-screen F, as shown indotted lines in Figs. and 11.

m is an ordinary spring-latch to lock the box and focusing-screen,respectively, in position for exposure or focusing.

In Fig. 13 the box is shown empty, and is made rather shallower than theother arrange ment, but it may be of any convenient depth in eithercase, according to the number of plates it is to hold. It will beobvious that this double box, instead of sliding in guides, as justdescribed, might be hinged to the camera as in the first-describedarrangement, and that the board A of the first arrangement, instead ofbeing hinged as described, might be made to slide in guides a.

To enable the forcible displacement of the plates in transferring themfrom one box or compartment to the other to be effected without injuryto the sensitive film, each plate is incased in an envelope or sheath ofsheet metal or vuleanite, S, Figs. 14 and 15, which covers the back ofthe plate, and has flanges s at top and bottom which embrace two ofitsedges,said flanges projecting from the frontsurfaee of the plate, sothat they alone come in contact with the back of the plate next in frontor with the board A. The sheath is also provided with a turned-up edgeor flange, .9, forming a stop, against which one edge of the plateabuts, as shown. This sheath or envelopefits the plate spring-tight, itbeing slightly buckled, as shown in Fig. 15, so as to press against theback of the plate, which may thus be readily inserted and withdrawn. Thesame sheaths are thus adapted to receive plates of slightlyvaryingthickness. In the case of sensitive films upon a support of. paper orother thin material the sheath would be quite fl at instead of beingbuckled, and the grooves beneath the flanges s at top and bottom wouldbe of a size to receive the material. The inner surface of this sheathisprel'erably coated with a .non-actinic varnish or paper for thepurpose of diminishing the effect of halation due to reflection from theback surface of the plate.

The dry plates may be put in the sheaths and packed in the boxes of theholder by the makers.

\Vhat I claim as my invention is- 1. The combination, with aphotographic camera, of a double or twin receptacle for containing theplates or films before exposure, and for receiving them after exposure,the said receptacles adjoining and communicating by a passage for theplates, and provided with means for bringing the plates successivelyinto position for exposure without removing them from the receptacle,and for transfer ring the plates from the one receptacle to the other,substantially as hereinbefore shown and described.

2. A receptacle for holding and exposing plates or films in thephotographic camera wherein a series of plates or films placed in frontof one another are exposed in succession by the foremost one, afterexposure, being moved edgewise from in front of the next, and theremainder being moved forward collectively toward the position forexposure, these two motions being effected alternately in the manner andby the means substantially as herein specified.

3. A double or twin plate holder provided with means for bringing theplates successively into position for exposure and for transferring IIOthem from one receptacle to the other, substair tially as described, thesaid holder being hinged to the camera so as to swing into and out ofposition, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

4. In a plate holder and changer for photographic cameras, thecombination of the twin boxes or compartments juxtaposed andcommunicating, the base plate or board provided with the opening forexposures, and the slide acting both as a shutter and as a means ofpropelling the exposed plate from one box or compartment to the other,substantially as and for the purpose shown and described.

5. In a plate holder and changer for photographic cameras, thecombination of the dupli cate boxes or compartments B B", communicatingas described, the board A, formed with the opening 0 and the well h, thesprings G, and the shutter E, for operation substantially as shown anddescribed, for the purpose specilied.

(3. In a plate holder and changer for photographic cameras, constructedof two boxes or compartments, as described, the combination of thesprings G with the countersink or well it, for canting the plates in thereceiver, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

7. Ina plate holder and changer for photographic rameras, the boxes 13ll, juxtaposed and communicating, as described, and iitted to slide inguides c in the board A, formed with openings 0, and provided withshutter 16, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

S. A protective sheath or envelope for photographic plates, consistingof a spring-plate of sheet metal or vuleanite, S, provided with the topand bottom flanges, to form grooves to receive and embrace the edges ofthe plate. and with the flange s, to form a stop lbr the edge of theplat e, substantially as herei n shown and described.

"9. The con'ibinalion,with a plate holder and changer for photographiccameras constructed of two compartments or boxes juxtaposed andcommunicating, as described, of a series of two or more protectivesheaths constructed as do scribed, and incasing as many photographicplates or films, and placed in front of one another, as and for thepurpose specified.

The above specification of my invention signed by me this 16th day ofAugust, 1882-3.

THOMAS SAHUE LS.

\Vitnesses:

JOHN DEAN, HERBERT 1G. Darn, Both 7 17 Gracecinn'ch St, London.

